By Invitation | Managing director, Boeing Defence India, Surendra Ahuja

Managing director, Boeing Defence India, Surendra Ahuja

Boeing’s P-8I has played a critical role in maritime operations for the Indian Navy. How does the platform give an edge to the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific?

The 12 P-8Is in the Indian Navy’s arsenal significantly contribute to the navy’s capacity to keep the vast areas of interest in the Indo-Pacific under surveillance while also playing a greater role in regional maritime security. Notably, the Indian Navy was the first international customer for the P-8 and today operates the second largest non-US fleet. In fact, on December 19, it will be a decade since the first P-8I was delivered to the Indian Navy, a significant milestone in our growing relationship with the navy. We believe that the Indian Navy has a need for six more P-8Is and we stay committed to working with the Indian Navy/ ministry of defence to deliver those when contracted.

A formidable part of the Indian Navy’s fleet, the P-8 is a proven system with more than 140 aircraft in service that have executed more than 4,00,000 mishap free flight-hours around the globe. The P-8 is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The P-8 delivers highest levels of quality, reliability and operability. A true multi-mission aircraft, it is defined by a unique combination of state-of-the-art sensors,